Magic Valley Health Workers to Train at Ebola Response Workshop

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KLIX) – Public health workers and emergency responders on Wednesday will take part in training in the event of an Ebola or other disease outbreak.

The training, presented by South Central Public Health District, is planned for Oct. 17 and, according to the health district, will help prepare emergency responders, hospital staff, emergency managers, and other health workers for disease outbreaks in Idaho.

“Although there are no current Ebola cases in Idaho, we continue to face other deadly epidemics like the flu and Hepatitis A,” Epidemiologist Tanis Maxwell said in a news release on Tuesday. “It's important to plan and be prepared.”

The Ebola Disease Virus was discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo, and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is “a rare, but severe and often deadly disease.” It shares many of the same symptoms as other diseases, including influenza.

The Wednesday workshop will go from 8:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the College of Southern Idaho Health Sciences & Human Services building.